Ira Feldman in one of his sukkot
Ira Feldman and his Feldman & Son Sukkot kits
('Since 5739') have been a fixture of many Los Angeles Sukkot celebrations for about 20
years.
Feldman's business began as a favor. When a
relative asked the carpenter/designer, who had worked for a year on a Golan Heights
kibbutz, to make him a sukkah, Feldman set to work with hammer, nails and two-by-fours.
Soon, the expense and unwieldiness of his task became apparent.
So Feldman hit the books and researched building
materials and halachic requirements for the ritual booth that Jews build to commemorate
their desert dwellings after the Exodus. He came up with prefab, easy-to-assemble,
lightweight steel frame that's joined by rust resistant fittings and dressed out with
high-quality vinyl fabric sides. |
Assembling a Feldman and Son sukkah takes between 18 and 36 minutes and requires no
tools.
Assembly requires no tools and takes "about 36
minutes." Feldman also sells bamboo slat scach, or roofing and bamboo cane mats.
Many of Feldman's customers are first-time Sukkot celebrators, whose children have
persuaded them to build the booth. "It's a primal kind of event for parent and
kids," says Feldman, father of David (hence Feldman & Son). "It's like
building a clubhouse that has a connection to their Jewish roots. It sticks in their mind
their whole life." For more information, call Ira Feldman at (310) 204-1818. - Robert Eshman, Associate Editor |
